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Decatur authorizes joining coalition to intervene in Georgia Power's 2025 IRP; staff to seek counsel
Summary
The commission authorized staff to join the Georgia Coalition of Local Governments in the Georgia Power 2025 Integrated Resource Plan proceeding, endorsing coalition priorities that include modifications to proposed unit-retirement delays, expanded paired renewables and storage procurement, and support for demand‑side management programs.
Energy and sustainability manager David Nifong briefed the commission on Georgia Power's 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) filing and recommended Decatur join a multi-jurisdiction coalition to intervene in the proceeding. The commission authorized staff to join the coalition and to participate with retained counsel.
Nifong said the 2025 IRP projects substantial load growth (driven largely by data centers and large industrial customers) and requests approval for a range of supply- and demand-side actions including procurement of utility-scale renewables and storage, a residential/commercial solar-plus-battery pilot, resumption or delay of certain plant retirements, and a higher summer capacity reserve margin. The commission heard the PSC procedural schedule: intervener testimony due May 2, hearings May 27–30, and a PSC decision targeted for July 15.
The coalition's priorities, as described by staff, include: approval of distributed and utility-scale renewable procurements with modifications, expansion of storage procurement and paired solar-plus-storage, support for the proposed demand-side management programs at the requested savings target, and changes to proposed coal retirement delays to favor renewables-plus-storage where feasible. For the first time the coalition plans to contract an outside attorney to conduct cross-examination and handle filing and negotiation logistics; staff said a philanthropic funder offered to pay counsel costs for the IRP and associated rate-case work.
The commission moved and seconded the authorization. Commissioners discussed regional implications (transmission upgrades, water use for data-center cooling) and asked staff to collect community input that the coalition can incorporate into testimony. Nifong said the coalition will circulate community surveys and return with updates as the case progresses.
